A Muses Remembrances
by Japyra
Summary: As the player strums his chords, one by one they come. Memories floating by, like candlelight in the night. And the fable, 'Scrapped Princess' is called on again.
1. Innocence

**A Muses Remembrance**

_A Scrapped Princess _Drabble Collection

By Japyra

Summary: As the player strums his chords; one by one they come. Memories floating by, like candlelight in the night. And the fable '_Scrapped Princess'_ is called on again.

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_Innocence:_

Hell had frozen over.

No, actually; she figured dazedly, hell was in such a state if shock that it sat immobile for a split second and very, very soon it would unfreeze and...

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Shannon was already brandishing his sword; dark eyes blazing at the other boy.

"Run!" Pacifica squealed to her partner-in-crime.

The boy needed no other bidding; and uncaring of his nakedness, fled the small room.

The enraged guardian turned to follow; and found an arm latched to his side. "Brother, stop it!"

Shannon made a quick jab with his elbow, forcibly pushing his adoptive sister to land on her butt with a rude noise.

The blond rubbed her backside, indignant for a moment. "Ow! Shannon that h—"

Her elder brother was panting, shaking; eyes wide with...

"What," The calm emphasis on each word was more frightening then his shouting before. "Were. You. Doing. With. That. Kid.?"

Feeling his hot stare at her, Pacifica felt her cheeks flush as she remembered her own lack of clothing. "Ew! Pervert! Get out of my room so I can—"

The man slammed a fist into the wall a few inches above her head. The youngest Casull froze in mid-escape. "YOU WEREN'T REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT MODESTY A FEW MOMENTS AGO WITH THAT...THAT..." His anger seemed to slow the thought process.

"_That_ thing is a boy." Shannon replied coldly, folding her arms over her bare breasts and looking away. "And his name is Renji; if you have to know."

Shannon stared, open-mouthed at his little sister for a handful of seconds before he turned toward the doorway and said, with a bizarre amount of sensibility; "I'm going to go kill him."

"Damnit Shannon!" Pacifica found her rage growing again, raising her to her feet. "Are you really that _immature_? We were having sex, not killing little children!"

Her brother grew very quiet at this proclamation, coming to a complete still so that her blue eyes drifted down his dark length of hair. The tension stayed taut in the air, waiting for his reply. And finally...

"Were you a virgin before this, Pacifica?" His voice low, murmuring while he turned enough to gaze at her with one eye.

Under his gaze, the girl looked toward the floor, feeling her cheeks heat up again. "Does it really matter?"

She saw his booted feet turn completely, taking two steps toward her.

"It matters to me."

"I wanted..." Her voice was beginning to shake and that creeping shame slid up on her again; making the cerulean eyes water. "I wanted to know someone could still... want me... even if I was... toxic. I wanted..." The tears hit the hardwood floor, glancing off in the soft light. "to see if even _I_ could be desired..." Her sobs choked out the rest of the words as Pacifica slumped to the floor, bawling.

She didn't hear Shannon move, but suddenly his broad frame was hovering over her; an unusually somber expression on his face. He looked at his naked, tearful little sister and did the first thing that came to mind:

Pacifica felt warmth embrace her body and looked up to see her brother's traveling cloak wrapped around her while he looked down at her; slowly bending lower to embrace her.

And then suddenly she was crying on his shoulder, wishing he would just be _angry_ at her because then she could just get angrier at him and they could bicker and make up and all this would be fine... forgotten.

"I'm sorry," The guardian looked over her shoulder. "Pacifica."

And his sister cried harder, because she had been so _stupid_ to not see...

_She_ was loved anyway.

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A/N: I know Scrapped Princess is a little-known anime, so if you read this and don't feel like pucking afterwards; do leave a review please.

Next: _Repression: _The day Pacifica remembers Fulle is the day she dies.


	2. Repression

**A Muses Remembrance**

_A Scrapped Princess _Drabble Collection

By Japyra

Summary: As the player strums his chords; one by one they come. Memories floating by, like candlelight in the night. And the fable '_Scrapped Princess'_ is called on again.

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_Repression:_

Pacifica died the say she remembered Fulle.

Not literally, of course.

But her husband of two months found her standing stock-still in the yard; laundry basket still in hand. Tears ran down her face as though it was the last time those blue eyes ever intended to cry.

Leo ran over, and shook her; getting no reaction. And so his hazel eyes traveled to what his young wife was so fixated on. His blood curdled in realization.

It was a small wooden bath token; laying innocently on the folded clothes. She had stopped her habit of wearing it when they got married; but now...

Leo's gaze trailed from the memoir to the ashen face of Pacifica; and felt dread so powerful he had to swallow down the urge to vomit before he could speak.

"Dear... Pacifica," He called tentatively. "... You remember him; don't you?" He put his arm gently on her shoulder; trying to instigate a response.

It was as if his touch had been the un-freeze button; because suddenly she found her voice again and began wailing. The basket dropped form her hands and she fell with it; tumbling to the ground to grasp the fist-sized piece of wood.

"Pacifica!" Leo bent down to her sobbing form, hugging the bath token so close to her chest; as if to fuse with it.

Her cries wracked the air, like she was a woman drowning; and her balance slipped up so all her weight was leaning against the man beside her. For his part, he pulled one arm across her shoulders, cradling her blond head in his lap. They stayed like that until dusk; Leo whispering useless words of comfort to his partner; stroking her hair tenderly as she ripped her throat out to the sky.

Or at least, it sounded like that was what she was trying to do.

And slowly, she, like every other human being, ran out of tears and words. And by the time the sky had broken out in delicate lilacs and vivid oranges; she managed to speak.

"I killed him." It was a bare murmur, more of a stolen whisper than actual speech.

"Sh," Leo held her closer; wanting to ebb away her sorrow. "No you didn't."

"Fulle is dead..." Pacifica was shaking, her azure eyes rimmed and hollow. "...because he helped me. That means that if I hadn't met him... If I hadn't been on that ship...If I hadn't been born..."

Brown eyes gazed worriedly at her, frowning.

"He'd still be alive. It's all my fault Leo! Fulle is dead because of me!"

Each time she said his name she both treasured, and loathed it. It was like an addictive toxin that she never wanted to be released from.

"I was the one who went with him!" He was still the knight trying to save the princess. "I couldn't help him! That's why he's dead!" And it was killing him that there might be something he couldn't protect her from; some arrow he couldn't take for her. "It's my fault!"

Leo's entire body was tense under her; and it took him a moment to feel the low vibrations she was emitting, and even longer to hear the strange hacking sound. He leaned closer, and then it hit him.

She was laughing.

Pacifica flipped over, water draining slowly down her cheek as she stared up at her husband. A low, pathetic laughter escaped her lips as she moved a finger up to trace his jawbone.

"You will never learn, will you Leo?" The chuckles died softly and an unfathomable look darkened her face. "You'll always be the fool."

Her finger idled up to his cheek, circling the taut skin.

"I love him... and Fulle's dead now. So I marry you... How long can it last? I'm sick to be able to live like this after loosing Fulle. And how long will you last before I kill you too?" The embittered smile fell off in place of a sorrowful rage.

"PACIFICA THAT'S ENOUGH!" Leo hadn't realized he yelled at her until she blinked; stunned into silence. He felt tears sliding down his own cheeks as he leaned over the woman; kissing her forehead. "That's enough. I'm not going anywhere Pacifica. I'm staying here...with you. _He_... He would have wanted that too."

When Leo reached down to kiss her again; she wrapped her arms tightly around his broad shoulders and simply buried her face into his chest, trembling. The knight didn't move; allowing her to use him as a shelter. Yet even as he watched the last vestiges of light fade out of the sky; he knew.

Nothing would ever be the same.

_"I love him... so I married you."_

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Next Chapter: _Expression of Love: The reason Shannon has a ponytail is something only he remembers._


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